Thomson

It’s a heck of a way to run a pre-election campaign. On the eve of an expected election, politicians usually spend their time playing up good news, downplaying the bad, shaking hands and kissing babies.

It’s usually rookies and prospects aiming to make a difference in pre-season, but Flames vets are turning heads early

Calgary’s Ben Street, right, gets a chance close in on New York Islanders goalie Kevin Poulin during pre-season action in Calgary on Tuesday. The Flames won 5-3.

Photograph by: Stuart Gradon
, Calgary Herald

With the Calgary Flames’ power-brokers scribbling in their clipboards, with the axe poised to fall many times Wednesday, the youngsters are understandably feeling the heat.

Something, though, has gotten into the veterans.

Monday in Saskatoon, you have Matt Stajan fighting some six-foot-four, 221-pound dude.

Tuesday in Calgary, you have Dennis Wideman laying out Cal Clutterbuck — yes, Cal Clutterbuck — with a huge hip check. For a chap who had collected 40 hits in 46 dates last season, that may seem a tad out of character. (After all, 10 of his teammates picked up more belts.)

But Wideman also strutted his trademark stuff.

Following his second-period collision, he drilled home two goals — one a sizzling slapper, one a expertly roofed power play wrister — to pace his squad to a 5-3 triumph over the New York Islanders in National Hockey League pre-season action at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

A one-man highlight package, eh?

“Well, I’d prefer it were in the regular season, not the pre-season,” said Wideman, chuckling. “I like to score, but hitting is fun, too.”

Burying hard shots? That, we’ve seen before. (Wideman, in fact, picked up a marker Saturday in Edmonton with a wicked wrister.)

But delivering that old-school hip check?

“Yeah, the old Rob Blake specialty,” said T.J. Galiardi. “That’s the thing with the league now — there’s guys who can hit and they’re very deceptive. Wides showed it right there.”

Wideman explains.

That particular approach carries an element of self-preservation.

“When you’re my size, you almost have to (hit that way),” said the defender, listed as six-feet tall. “A lot of the times, if you go in, you’re going to get that guy’s shoulder right in the face if you don’t get lower. When guys are bigger than you all the time . . . I’ve learned to have my hip first, even when I’m squeezing someone off. If I come in there (upright), a lot of times, I’m eating the shoulder pad — right in the jaw.”

The Flames, who outshot the visitors 30-21, also got goals from Lance Bouma, Curtis Glencross and Galiardi. Replying for the Islanders were Michael Grabner, Griffin Reinhart and Riley Wetmore.

“We had some spurts when we were really good,” said Wideman. “Then we had some spurts when we got caught in our own zone and got running around a little bit. But I thought, for the most part, we were pretty solid.”

The Calgarians, after three games in two nights, don’t play again till Monday when the New York Rangers roll into town.

For established players at this time of year, this is not only a fine-tuning exercise. There are experiments to conduct.

Such as Galiardi at centre.

On a unit with Lee Stempniak and Glencross — which combined for seven scoring points — he looked like a fit.

“Top-class players,” said Galiardi, who won 11 of his 22 draws, “and fun to play with.”

And it must be said — Galiardi’s power play tally was of the goal-scorer’s variety.

In possession of the puck — and moving backwards through the top of the crease, he waited. Then waited. Then calmly roofed the puck.

“The past couple years I feel like I could have had 10 more goals each year if I’d just beared down a little,” said Galiardi, who’s scored 39 times in 221 career appearances. “Things like that, you learn from watching guys who are very consistent scorers. I was lucky to play with a lot of guys last year (in San Jose) who helped me along.

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